Kids are back in school. Farmers are back in the field.

The hottest weeks of summer aren’t just a rush to visit the pool as often as possible. It’s also time for families to start hunting for deals on school supplies.

My daughter will begin her last year of elementary school this August. But I miss her kindergarten days, when all she needed for school was an 8-pack of crayons and a pair of safety scissors that could barely cut paper.

Even as an adult, I still get that same back-to-school feeling each fall, like it’s time for new pencils and a fresh start to the year.

One of my favorite personal development books, “When” by Daniel Pink, recommends using the start of something – a new school year, a new month or a new week – to make the first steps toward a goal.

So I’m using the first day of school as a launch for my own personal goal: to find a new hobby to replace scrolling on my phone when I’m tired or bored.

Harvest season is also a new beginning for Iowa farmers. After long hours in the combine, farm families will look back at the past growing season, figure out what worked and what didn’t, and set goals for next year.

This fall, many Iowa farmers will also plant cover crops, like rye and oats, to protect the soil and water after corn and soybean harvest.

Cover crops act like a blanket for the field, helping hold soil in place, reduce runoff and improve soil health for the next crop.

In 2024 alone, Iowa farmers planted 3.8 million acres of cover crops, a 90% increase from the previous five years.

And you can expect to see more cover crops this fall because of new water quality funding approved by the Iowa Legislature.

The program’s goal is to double the number of cover crop acres planted in the Des Moines River Watershed, which includes 22 counties in northern and central Iowa.

Of course, we know there’s more work to do. Safe drinking water is essential. That’s why we must invest in modern, resilient water infrastructure built for today’s challenges, to identify and reduce pollution from all sources.

Just like the Iowa farmers adopting new innovations, I’m also looking forward to a fresh start this fall. We should always be learning and trying to improve, no matter our age.

I hope you enjoy the last few weeks of summer, and be sure to follow Iowa Farm Bureau on Facebook for updates on the upcoming America Needs Farmers (ANF) Game Day Oct. 3 and Iowa Hawkeye football.

Take care,

Teresa Bjork
Editor, The Iowa Dish

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Learn more about author Teresa Bjork here.